Concord Company Ordered to Vacate Facility

BOSTON - A company that operated as a specialized metals manufacturing facility at 2229 Main St., Concord was ordered to permanently vacate the contaminated site by July 30, under a judgment obtained by Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office. The order was issued by Judge Christopher Muse following a request for summary judgment in a lawsuit that alleges that Starmet violated a 2007 Administrative Consent Order with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health requiring Starmet to vacate 2229 Main St. in 2007.

"After several years of stalling and delay tactics, Starmet has repeatedly refused to comply with the terms of the Administrative Consent Order. We are very pleased that this judgment orders Starmet to vacate the Concord facility once and for all," said AG Coakley.

Under the 2007 Administrative Consent Order, Starmet agreed to comply with a schedule for vacating the site and to submit monthly status reports to the DPH indicating the status of the completion of each milestone in the schedule. Starmet has repeatedly breached the 2007 Administrative Order.

From 1978-2001, Starmet produced depleted uranium munitions for the U.S. Military and Department of Defense. As a result of the manufacturing operations that were conducted at the site, 2229 Main St. was designated as a Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A Superfund site is land that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a priority for cleanup.

The lawsuit further states that the DPH notified Starmet of the Administrative Order breach, giving Starmet time to either correct the violation; or to request a hearing before the Division of Administrative Law Appeals. Starmet did neither, and Starmet, and its business affiliates or lessees continue to occupy the Main Street site in violation of the court order, according to the complaint.

Assistant Attorney General Betsy Harper of AG Coakley's Environmental Protection Division is handling the case. Jim Ballin is handling the case for the Department of Public Health.

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